I root for VT softball for a number of reasons such as the girls all seem to play well and act as a team, they care about each other, they're talented, they're highly competitive but not jerks about it, by all accounts they're great people off the field too and, probably most of all, they're "our team". I've really enjoyed rooting for Kylie, Rachel, Anni, Michelle and others through the years because they're "VT's team". I'm hoping to root for Gaby and Avery for another 3 years. I go out of my way to follow and support them. Can't say the same about football, men's basketball and, to a lessor extent, women's basketball. In the era of NIL, those teams seem to be largely mercenaries. The same reason I stopped rooting for my beloved Orioles back in the '70's (yes, I'm old) when the whole team became mercenaries when free agency came about is the same reason I don't have the same passion I used to for football and basketball. Seeing Dell Curry, Bobby Beecher, and running into Bruce Smith (literally) at Top of the Stairs in the 1980s had that "they're our guys" feel about it. It really touched me when Kylie said, through her tears, how special VT is to her. I'm hoping softball can avoid the "mercenary model" as long as possible. I know NIL has already infiltrated college softball to a certain extent, but at least VT softball doesn't seem to have been really impacted...yet. I love the addition of Addy and she doesn't seem to be a "let's go buy a great player" type of get and seems to really love being here. I'm hoping, maybe against hope, that the girls here want to be here because, as Kylie said, VT is a special place. If the NIL model eventually takes over and there is wholesale roster turnover each year, I fear there isn't another VT sport I'll find myself able to be passionate about. I love this team and want to continue to love them into the future.